NEW HIGH for eagle NESTING

Article by Bob Sargent, DNR

Bald eagle nest near Rome (Gena Flanigen/wildlife photographer)

The count of active bald eagle nests in Georgia soared to a record high this year.

Aerial surveys finished last month detected 218 occupied nest territories. That eclipses the record of 210 set in 2015 and continues for a third straight year the state’s streak of 200-plus active eagle nests.

Mirroring a comeback across the species’ range, bald eagles have rebounded in Georgia from no known nests in 1970 to nests this year in at least 68 counties, according to survey leader Bob Sargent. In the last 10 years, the number of occupied nest territories in the state has almost doubled.

“The recovery of the bald eagle in Georgia is a truly inspiring success story. This is a 7-foot-wide soaring example of the effectiveness of the Endangered Species Act,” said Sargent, a program manager with DNR’s Nongame Conservation Section.

SURVEY SUMMARY

• Occupied bald eagle nest territories: 218
• Successful nests: 142
• Young fledged: 218
• Counties with active nests: 68
• Lead nest counties: Chatham, 22; Decatur, 18; Camden, 13, McIntosh, 13; Glynn, 11; Liberty, 11

WHAT YOU CAN DO

• Report eagle nests via www.georgiawildlife.com/conservation/eaglenest, (478) 994-1438 or bob.sargent@dnr.ga.gov. (Osprey nests are sometimes confused with eagles’. Tips on distinguishing the species and nests.)
• Buy or renew a DNR bald eagle or hummingbird wildlife license plate. These tags cost only $25 more than a standard license plate, and $19 of each purchase and $20 of each annual renewal goes to help conserve eagles and hundreds of other species listed as species of conservation concern.
• Learn more about what DNR is doing to conserve these creatures and the habitats they need to survive.